Nairobi, April 24 (Horn Diplomat) – Pirates operating near the Somalia coast have hijacked an oil tanker carrying at least 11 Pakistani crew members, with the vessel remaining under their control days after the attack, according to shipping sources.
The tanker, identified as Owner 25, was seized on April 21 in waters off the Horn of Africa, raising renewed concerns over maritime security in one of the world’s most strategically important shipping corridors.
Family members of the crew, speaking to local media, urged authorities to take immediate action to ensure the safe return of their relatives. They said Indonesian officials were engaged in efforts to negotiate the release of the ship’s captain.
The hijacking comes amid heightened regional tensions and renewed focus on the security of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, through which a significant portion of global trade passes.
Days before the incident, Somalia’s ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union, Abdullahi Warfa, warned that Somalia could take measures, including potentially restricting access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.
“Any country interfering in Somalia’s internal affairs and compromising its territorial integrity and sovereignty will face repercussions, including potential restrictions on access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait,” Warfa said in remarks posted on X.
His comments followed Israel’s recent move to formalize diplomatic engagement with Somaliland, including steps toward exchanging ambassadors, a development strongly opposed by Mogadishu.
No direct link between the ambassador’s remarks and the hijacking of the oil tanker has been established, though analysts say the incident underscores growing security risks in the region’s key maritime corridors.
Piracy off the Somalia coast, which had declined significantly over the past decade due to international naval patrols, has shown signs of resurgence in recent years, particularly in areas near major shipping lanes in the Gulf of Aden.
Maritime analysts warn that the combination of strategic geography, reduced naval presence, and evolving regional tensions could increase risks for commercial vessels transiting the region.
